(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray released the following statement on the passage of legislation to avoid impending tax hikes for millions of Washington state residents.
“While I’m disappointed that Congress could not agree to the comprehensive budget deal that the American people expect and deserve, I am pleased that the vast majority of middle-class families and small business owners across our state can go into the New Year knowing that they will be protected from major tax hikes.
“To be clear, this is not the deal that I sought or would have written. This bill is a difficult short-term step that leaves the budget debate far from settled. There are still deeply painful across-the-board spending cuts that will need to be addressed that impact vulnerable families and communities. There are still those who may seek to play politics with our nation’s credit rating. We still need to invest in the middle class to help achieve broad-based economic growth and to address the unemployment crisis we face. And the need to restore faith in our fractured political system has never been greater.
“American families, who even in the midst of this economic crisis, have found ways to stretch their own dollars and balance their own budgets, deserve more from Washington, D.C. They are tired of being party to political impasses that threaten their own livelihoods, especially when they solve problems every day by seeking and finding common ground. I share their frustration. These families deserve more than partial solutions.
“As incoming chairman of the Senate Budget Committee I am going to have even more opportunities to bring the voices, perspectives, and values of the American people into the budget debate. And I am going to keep fighting to make sure that our nation’s budgets are fair, and that middle-class families, seniors, and small business owners are given the opportunity to succeed.”
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